Have you ever seen such a helpless man
by Suk-fong
Summary: Forever is a long time, but I wouldn't mind spending it by your side.  Marriage
1. Chapter 1

an bakuman where hiramaru and aoki are married. i need fics about their wedding, omg.

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><p>One, two, three<p>

Open your eyes please.

Please, please, please.

Don't leave me here alone.

Please not now.

I finally found you.

Finally.

You can't leave me now

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><p><em>I thought you'd fight harder for me<em>

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><p>To be absolutely honest, she did not picture her happily ever after married to Hiramaru. It's not that he's not nice, he is nice and kind and sweet, and a tad bit timid, but he is nothing if not determined and he cares for her.<p>

He calls her every week to tell her about the latest chapter, and how much he likes it. It's so sweet of him, and she knows that being married to him will be such a sweet and happy life, that saying yes was simple.

The wedding is one of frills and extravagance. Part of it comes from her shojou background, but most of it comes from him, in his happy, over the top enthusiasm and pride in their union.

It's adorable, and she can't help but smile and go along with it all, wearing a white lacey dress with Shujin's wife as her maid of honour, and her assistants as bridesmaids.

It's such a beautiful wedding, and afterwards at the reception. Team Fuduka comes and congratulates them on their nuptials.

"You look good." Fuduka says, looking odd and out of place but somehow striking in a suit and tie.

She thanks him, and he shuffles off.


	2. Chapter 2

I'll make a wish.

On everything, anything.

Just open your eyes.

BREATHE

Do this for me.

Please. Please.

I wished on our star,

You have to come back to me.

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><p><em>Have you ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't fall in love with?<em>

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><p>It's like a dream, they have been married only for five months, but already he can't see him living any other way.<p>

They brought their studios to their new bigger apartment, and they eat dinner and breakfast and lunch together every day. On Sundays they go out by themselves, and just explore.

He enjoys those times, the time when they just get to be together.

There are thorns though, that he never thought of; such as Fuduka.

He never knew how close Fuduka and Aoki were until after they were married. Fuduka calls a few days after Jump is published and goes through any and every possible flaw in her manga, all in critical loud and brash voice. She listens intently, writing odd notes and doodling on scrap pieces of paper. When he is done, she in turn tells him any and every flaw in his manga, and how to improve. She does it in a very different way, a different Aoki then he knows, she is curt, and sarcastic and perhaps a bit cruel, with a hint of a smirk on her face.

He wants to know this Aoki. He wants to know everything about her, but he doesn't think he can. He's pretty sure this is something that only Fuduka knows, and lets it go.

Because she hangs up the phone and smiles prettily at him and kisses his cheek as she refills his tea cup.

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><p>Team Fuduka meets at a bar one night. Shujin's wife comes as well, and he realizes she's the unspoken member of Team Fuduka. She and Aoki easily fall into conversation, away from manga, cars and sex which everyone else is partaking in.<p>

It's nice. She has found a female friend, though and despite some whispers of a controversy between her and Shujin, it feels safe.

At the end of the night, when Shujin's wife is extremely drunk and whispering quickly in Shujin's ear things that make him turn bright red, and take her hand and say goodbye, he watches the two of them run down the street laughing like high school students, escaping back to their place.

Eiji and Mashiro leave as well, talking about a sports manga they read as children and love. Eiji is even more loud while tipsy.

He watches Aoki and Fuduka talk quietly, sitting at the bar. He still has a beer that he hasn't finished and she has finished her fruity drink. Their heads are close together and she smiles and laughs. He's caught off guard at how striking they look together, how opposite they are.

He watches her stand, hug him gently and then head towards the exit where he is waiting. Aoki smiles up at him, and he takes her hand and leads her home.


	3. Chapter 3

You bastard.

You fucking lying bastard.

You promised me!

YOU PROMISED ME!

Why did you go?

Why did you leave me?

You stupid, stupid loud crude mean man.

Why would you do this to me?

You said you loved me

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><p><em>Lately beautiful things have a way of bringing me down.<em>

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><p><strong>I<strong>t's terrifying looking at her, how ghostly pale she is when Shujin tells them the news. The name she was holding falls to the ground, getting ruined by the rain.

He doesn't know what to say, but he tries to put his arm around Aoki. She feels like marble, so cold and wet and untouchable.

Shujin's wife, who is already crying hard, rushes towards Aoki and hugs her. Aoki doesn't respond to her touch any more than she does to his, but there is something natural to how his wife is being held.

Shujin motions for him to follow him into head office. Just before the door closes he hears an odd loud piercing scream, something more akin to a tortured animal than a human being.

Aida has gathered all of Team Fuduka, Eiji, Mashiro, Shujin and himself, to tell them what they all already know.

Fudukua was riding his motorcycle, and it was raining heavily. He lost control of his motorcycle and was thrown from it, he died instantly.

The funeral will be in a few days.

Two days after their first wedding anniversary.

Aida tells them that they will all go on a small hiatus from Jump. Only two weeks so they can adjust, and then he leaves them alone.

Aida isn't stupid; he knows they won't listen to him. He already knows that Mashiro, Shujin and Eiji are planning a tribute to him somehow.

In fact, it only takes twenty minutes when they decided that they will together write and draw a very short manga, about a racer at the prime of his life and career and his eventual death. Mashiro will draw and write the first chapter, he will draw and write the second chapter, Shujin will draw the next and Eiji will draw the last chapter.

Perhaps, it is life reflecting art, because the characters will include rival racers who form a deep friendship and bond. He already knows that the racer will have long white hair and wear a hat and a scowl.

It's all they can really do.

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><p><strong>I<strong>t's his best work, the people still look off, but truly it's his best work. This is towards the middle of the racer's career. He's placing higher and higher, consistently in the top ten, sometimes in the top five. He still hasn't caught up with the genius eccentric racer who is always in the top three, and there is the dark horse team of racer and mechanic that also are often in the top ten, and the introduction of a new racer, who by dumb luck and odd genius makes it to the top ten as well.

He works on it constantly. His manga's chapters are not as well done, but he's still in the top five.

It doesn't really matter right now.

All the matters is Team Fuduka and how he needs to show the world why this man made him the man he is today.

Aoki comes in to his studio at an early hour in the morning while he is working, without any assistants and looks at the name.

"Where am I?" she says.

He starts over again and adds in the beautiful female racer, trying her hardest in a male dominated sport, getting mentored by the racer, and becomes such a strong, beautiful, powerful racer, a force to be reckoned with.

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><p><strong>S<strong>he writes the last chapter, the one after his death. It's bittersweet, and quite honestly the best one, regardless of his bias.

It is sad, and one filled with little hope. There is honesty in it, one that directly reflects Team Fuduka now.

The eccentric genius becomes quieter, almost world weary, no longer embracing the world like he did before, while the mechanic and his wife bring hope, as his wife announces her pregnancy several weeks after-new life, how fitting and bittersweet. His driver throws himself into racing, striving harder and harder to be better than all the other racers, taking large and unnecessary risks; his motorcycle now has a large white streak painted on it. The odd genius racer tries harder to help his wife, the lovely beautiful female racer, and just tries to stay standing in midst of the confusion and numbness as he is lost without his best friend and backbone. The strong beautiful racer becomes withdrawn, and quiet. She does not let her husband touch her, and walks to the racer's apartment sometimes during the day, just to feel him again.

The chapter ends with a beautiful portrait of the grave marker.

They watch as it gets published simply as Racer by Team Fuduka. They give no comments, and want no money or recognition from the story. It's their final good bye.

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><p>When he reads the ending, he feels hollow.<p>

She shows the world her biggest secret that she married a man who she does not love the way she should love.

He supposes he should know, but he didn't. Thinking now it was obvious, and he wonders if she married him out of pity.

When he sees her, he knows she knows he knows.

She waits for him to say something, he doesn't know what to say.

He walks past her to their bed, where he lies down. She follows him shortly and curls up beside him, placing her head on his chest.

He can feel her tears fall off her face onto him.

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><p><strong>AN: fin**


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